Carcinus maenas : Green Crab
Origin: Europe and regions in northern Africa.
Colonized areas: Coastal areas of North America, Australia and South Africa.
Method of colonization: Accidental introduction via ballast water and escapes (aquaculture installations).
Impacts: A voracious predator, the Green Crab is responsible for the decline of several species of bivalves and indigenous crabs. It involves significant costs for mussel breeding farms.
Rate of reproduction: In favourable conditions, a female can lay up to 185,000 eggs.
Obstacles to eradication: Difficulty of controlling method of colonization, absence of effective means of population control.